North Royalton City Schools Honor Two Dedicated Staff Members with the Crystal Starfish Award
On June 1, 2022, North Royalton City Schools announced the winners of the second semester’s Crystal Starfish Award presented by First Federal of Lakewood.
Katie MacKeigan King, Child and Family Support Specialist for North Royalton City Schools was presented with the Crystal Starfish Support Staff Award. MacKeigan King was nominated by a parent and colleagues. Excerpts of her nomination state:
Her support and friendship for our child has been above and beyond the call of duty and very appreciated.
Katie is an asset to North Royalton City Schools. She provides a bridge for supports between the staff and parents in supporting the needs of the whole child. This often includes clothing, food and shelter, the basic needs. Katie assists families in connecting to community resources for medical, dental, vision and mental health services. She meets with families outside of school hours to provide the supports at a time that is best for the family. Katie works with teaching teams to create plans for behavior, provide follow up information, and to make connections between school and outside supports for collaborative communication. Katie also meets with individual students during the school day to provide supports that enable the student to manage their emotions, schoolwork and their school day. Administrators, school counselors and teachers seek out Katie's expertise for children who need multiple layers of support both in and out of school. Katie's work has provided students, families and teachers with a foundation for success both in school and in the community.
Emily Krause, first grade intervention specialist at North Royalton Elementary School was the recipient of the Crystal Starfish Teacher Award. Various colleagues nominated Krause. Besides the award, she also received a $250 Professional Development Grant from First Federal of Lakewood. Excerpts of her nomination state:
Emily makes a difference in both mine and our students' lives every single day. She always puts her students first and goes above and beyond her call of duty to be sure not only her students, but all students, are given opportunities to learn and grow at North Royalton Elementary School. Emily is a patient, kind and dedicated teacher. Her students love her because she makes them each feel special and works tirelessly to form lasting relationships. I am honored to call her not only a colleague, but a true friend and partner in our classroom!
Emily works miracles every day within her den and each of her students can always feel how invested she is in their success. When a new student started in November, she went above and beyond to develop a strong connection and make his transition into a new building, classroom, and learning environment easier than anyone could have predicted. She immediately became his anchor and so much of the success thus far is because of her dedication, passion, and caring heart. Emily makes a difference in the lives of all that encounter her on a daily basis. She continuously provides support and encouragement in every aspect of teaching with her team. She's willing to brainstorm ideas to help all students in the classroom, goes above and beyond in parent communication, and is knowledgeable in a variety of strategies to suggest. She will always be that one person that I know I can turn to if I need support professionally or personally. She makes me genuinely look forward to coming to work every day to collaborate and grow!
Working with Emily has been one of the many positives of our new elementary school. I have the benefit of working closely with her as Emily is a key member of our teaching team. As a co-teacher I have seen first hand the wonderful rapport Emily develops not only with students on her caseload, but all students on our team as well. Especially those students in need of extra help academically or socially and emotionally. Situations may arise in all of the three classrooms she is co-teaching in at the same time and she seems unflappable, helping the students in need. Emily takes it upon herself to address concerns and problem solve solutions that are best for her students and the families she serves. It is clear to all that Emily truly teaches from her heart.
The First Federal of Lakewood Crystal Starfish awards are presented to support staff members and teachers who make a difference in their schools and go above and beyond in all that they do. “Every day, teachers and staff of North Royalton City Schools are making a difference,” said Branch Operations Manager Endia Small, First Federal of Lakewood. “Our bank is honored to partner with the District, enabling these special individuals to be recognized publicly for their contributions.”